Political Prisoners
Djepparov Aider
Detention: On June 10, 2019, Russian security forces conducted extensive searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in Bilohirsk and detained Aider Djepparov along with several other activists. Russian authorities accused him of participating in the activities of the Islamic political organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which Russia has designated as a terrorist organization, although it is not banned in Ukraine and most countries worldwide. According to human rights defenders, no weapons, explosives, or other evidence of preparation for violent acts were found during the searches, and the charges were primarily based on covert audio recordings of conversations, religious studies, and testimonies from anonymous witnesses. Sentence: On January 12, 2021, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Aider Djepparov guilty and sentenced him to 17 years of imprisonment, with the first 5 years to be served in prison and the remainder in a high-security penal colony. The court also imposed further restrictions on his freedom after release. In 2024, Aider was transferred from the Chelyabinsk region to a correctional facility in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia, further complicating contact with his family.
Salimov Dlyaver
Detention: In August 2023, at a gas station, Dlyaver confronted an employee wearing a cap with the Russian military aggression symbol 'Z' and demanded its removal. During the verbal conflict, Salimov made a threat perceived by Russian law enforcement as a death threat. A video of the incident was circulated on pro-Russian Telegram channels linked to Russian security forces. Subsequently, a criminal case was initiated against Salimov under Part 2 of Article 119 of the Russian Criminal Code ('threat of murder or infliction of grievous bodily harm, motivated by political or ideological hatred'). According to lawyer Emil Kurbedinov, after his detention, security officers suggested Salimov record an apology video and publicly support the Russian...
Naukhatskyi Dmytro
Detention: Dmytro was detained on December 8, 2022, in Simferopol, Autonomous Republic of Crimea (temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine). He was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code ('organization of the activities of an extremist organization'), alleging that he organized religious meetings, Bible discussions, and activities of the local Jehovah's Witnesses community. Officers from the Russian Investigative Committee conducted a series of mass searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, after which Dmytro Oleksandrovych Naukhatskyi was detained. Sentence: On December 10, 2022, the court imposed a preventive measure of house arrest. On March 24, 2023, the investigation additionally charged him under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Russian Criminal Code ('financing extremist activities'), claiming he allegedly collected voluntary donations for religious...
Zakharevych Dmytro
Arrest: On August 7, 2023, Russian security forces conducted mass searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, after which Dmytro Zakharevych was detained. He was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code ('organization of extremist organization activities') and later under Part 1 of Article 282.3 ('financing of extremist activities'). On August 14, 2023, the court placed him under house arrest. On April 25, 2024, the preventive measure was changed to a travel ban. Human rights defenders consider the prosecution politically motivated and solely related to his religious beliefs. Sentence: As of July 26, 2026, there is no final verdict in the case. The criminal case is under consideration by the Russia-controlled Simferopol District Court. Dmytro Zakharevych remains under a travel ban....
Zakharov Dmytro
Detention: Dmytro Zakharov was detained on June 16, 2022, in the city of Henichesk, Kherson region. He is imprisoned under Article 361 of the Russian Criminal Code (“Act of International Terrorism”). Sentence: As of July 18, 2026, there is no information in open sources about a verdict. Dmytro Zakharov remains in custody. The Russian Federation accuses him under Article 361 of the Russian Criminal Code (“Act of International Terrorism”). He is currently held in pre-trial detention centre No. 2 in Simferopol. Human rights defenders consider his prosecution politically motivated.
Dolhopolov Mamed
Detention: On June 5, 2022, FSB officers and Russian border guards detained Mamed. Following his detention, a Crimean occupation court ordered his pre-trial detention. The Russian side alleged that Mamed was a member of the Noman Çelebicihan Battalion and even called him the 'personal bodyguard' of the battalion's founder, Lenur Islyamov. These claims lack independent verification, and human rights advocates emphasize that such accusations are systematically used for the criminal prosecution of Ukrainian citizens. Sentence: On September 28, 2022, the Kyiv District Court of Simferopol, under Russian control, sentenced Mamed Dolhopolov to 5 years in a high-security penal colony under Part 2 of Article 208 of the Russian Criminal Code...
Dolzhenkov Oleksandr
Detention: On September 19, 2020, 22-year-old Oleksandr Dolzhenkov arrived in occupied Crimea with his mother. After a few days in Yevpatoria, they stayed at a hotel in Sevastopol. In the morning, instead of an alarm clock, they were awakened by heavily armed special forces breaking down the door. The young man was thrown to the floor, restrained, and taken to the FSB office in Sevastopol, then to the FSB building in Simferopol. "For several days, Dolzhenkov was under intense psychological pressure, hearing all the abusive language of the Russian language. FSB officers morally destroyed the young man, calling him: 'Ukrainian nit,' 'Banderite,' 'fascist,' 'zombified Ukrainian,'" reported Zarema Bariyeva, manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center. Sentence: Oleksandr spent 8 months in the overcrowded Simferopol Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1 – a cell for 14 people with 18 inmates, rats, cockroaches, and mold on the walls. On May 21, 2021, the occupation Yevpatoria City Court sentenced him to 1 year in prison for "creating an extremist community." As a day in the pre-trial detention center counts as 1.5 days, he was released on the day of sentencing directly in the 'court' building. However, outside, FSB officers immediately rearrested him. This time, he was accused of allegedly calling the Temryuk police on May 15, 2018, the day the Crimean Bridge opened, to report a bomb threat on the bridge. After the second arrest, Oleksandr was taken to Krasnodar Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 5, where he was regularly brutally beaten with rubber batons and even a metal crane on the head for disobedience to the administration. On August 30, 2021, he was transferred by 'Stolypin car' to Novorossiysk Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 3. On November 17, 2021, the Temryuk Court sentenced Dolzhenkov to 6 years in a general regime colony. On March 2, 2022, he was placed in a correctional colony in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai.
Domchenko Ihor
Detention: On May 15, 2026, it was reported that Ihor Domchenko was detained by the Federal Security Service of Russia in occupied Sevastopol. According to information disseminated by Russian security agencies, a criminal case was opened due to comments Domchenko allegedly made in Telegram messenger chats. Sentence: As of July 18, 2026, there is no sentence. A criminal case has been initiated against Ihor Domchenko under Part 2 of Article 280 of the Russian Criminal Code ('Public calls for extremist activities using the Internet'). He faces up to five years of imprisonment.
Dovhopola Halyna
Arrest: On November 27, 2019, Halyna Dovhopola, a resident of Sevastopol, was detained by officers of the FSB of the Russian Federation in occupied Crimea following a search of her home. She was accused of 'state treason' and alleged cooperation with the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Immediately after her arrest, she was placed in a pre-trial detention centre, where she remained during the investigation. She was later transferred to Moscow (including Lefortovo pre-trial detention centre) and subsequently returned to Crimea for trial. Sentence: On March 24, 2021, the Russia-controlled Sevastopol City Court found Halyna Dovhopola guilty of 'state treason' and sentenced her to 12 years in a general regime colony, followed by 1 year of restricted freedom. After sentencing, she was transferred to the Russian Federation to serve her sentence.
Drosov Vasyl
Detention: In December 2025, he was unjustifiably added to the list of "extremists and terrorists" by Rosfinmonitoring. Sentence: In January 2026, he received an actual prison term. Vasyl Drosov is included in the current list of Ukrainian political prisoners serving illegal sentences in the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation. At the same time, verified information about the exact date of detention, charges, sentencing date, and length of the sentence is not publicly available. Human rights organizations attribute this to the closed nature of the proceedings and the absence of officially published case materials. Vasyl Drosov is a citizen of Ukraine, a civilian resident of the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. He became one of the Ukrainians persecuted by the Russian authorities...
Dubovenko Oleksandr
Arrest: In August 2021, following a series of searches in the homes of believers in Armyansk, Russian security forces detained Oleksandr Dubovenko. The Russian-controlled Armyansk City Court imposed house arrest as a preventive measure. Russian authorities charged him under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code ('Organization of the activities of an extremist organization'), although the actual basis for the prosecution was his peaceful practice of religion. Sentence: On December 1, 2022, the Russian-controlled Armyansk City Court found Oleksandr Dubovenko guilty and sentenced him to 6 years in a general regime colony. Later, the appellate court upheld the sentence with no significant changes. Ukrainian and international human rights organizations emphasize that the case is politically and religiously motivated and is...
Dudka Volodymyr
Arrest: On November 9, 2016, FSB officers detained him in occupied Sevastopol along with Oleksiy Bessarabov and Dmytro Shtyblikov in the so-called 'Ukrainian saboteurs' case. Russian authorities claimed the men were allegedly preparing sabotage at military and civilian facilities in Crimea on orders from Ukrainian intelligence. Volodymyr Dudka categorically denied all accusations and reported that psychological pressure was applied to him after his arrest to coerce a false confession. Ukrainian and international human rights defenders emphasize that the case was fabricated, with evidence obtained through numerous procedural violations. Sentence: On April 4, 2019, the Sevastopol City Court, controlled by Russia, found Volodymyr Dudka guilty of preparing sabotage and...